by Katherine Cook, KGW Staff
NWCN.com
Posted on March 21, 2011

PORTLAND -- A man who lists a sister in the Virginia Tech shooting was in Portland Monday leading a rally to increase the effectiveness of background checks on gun purchasers.

Omar Samaha said his sister's killer was able to purchase guns, though deemed mentally unstable, his name never on a list of forbidden purchasers of guns.

Samaha's Portland stop was part of the "Fix Gun Checks Tour." He will meet with Mayor Sam Adams and advocates of tighter gun controls.

"After my sister was killed, I went undercover with (ABC-TV's) '20/20' and purchased 10 guns in one hour without any check . . . easy as buying a bag of chips from a convenience store," Samaha said.

Portland Police Bureau spokesman Sgt. Pete Simpson said Samaha's visit was especially important to call attention on responsible gun ownership, after five gang-related shootings in the last eight days.

Over the weekend, four people were hit by gunfire when a fight broke out at a party near NE 9th and Dekum. None of those shot had life-threatening injuries.

More: Four hit in NE Portland gunfire

Federal firearms statistics show that agents recovered 889 guns in the city of Portland alone in 2009 and some 3,256 statewide.